1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic device locking/unlocking mechanism, and more particularly to an electronic device locking/unlocking mechanism, which includes a connection arm movable between a first position and a second position for controlling locking/unlocking of the electronic device. In addition, in cooperation with a pivot pin, the electronic device locking/unlocking mechanism enables a cover or a display screen of the electronic device to automatically bound open.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various electronic devices provided with covers or display screens, such as cellular phones, notebook computers, electronic books and digital imagers. The covers or display screens are pivotally mounted on the electronic devices via pivot pins (or rotational shafts), whereby the covers or display screens can be freely rotated and opened/closed under external force.
Basically, the conventional locating module includes an enclosure-type pivot pin or multiple disc-shaped washers, which are stacked in the same direction or reverse direction and assembled on a pivot pin. The washers are tightened by a nut, whereby when the pivot pin is rotated, the washers provide an elastic holding effect or frictional resistance against the rotation of the cover or display screen so as to locate the cover or display screen in a desired position after opened.
There is a kind of conventional pivot pin mechanism mounted on the electronic device. Such pivot pin mechanism generally has an elastic unit. When the cover or display screen of the electronic device is rotated to a position near the closed position, the elastic unit applies an elastic force to the cover or display screen to automatically close the cover or display screen onto the device body module of the electronic device. This lowers the resistance against closing of the cover or display screen to save strength of a user and facilitate the operation. However, as known by those skilled in this field, while lowering the resistance against closing of the cover or display screen, the resistance against opening of the cover or display screen is increased so that the user has to apply a greater force to the cover or display screen for opening the same.
There is a trend to design more lightweight, miniaturized and slimmed electronic device. Therefore, it has become harder and harder to open the cover or display screen of the electronic device. A user often needs to try several times before he/she can successfully open the cover or display screen. Also, when opening the cover or display screen, the pressure exerted onto the user's hand is increased and the operation hand feeling of the user is poor. This is not what we expect.
According to the aforesaid, it is known that the structural design of the cover or display screen, the device body module and the relevant components (such as the pivot pin and the locating module) of the conventional device has some shortcomings that need to be overcome. It is therefore tried by the applicant to provide an electronic device locking/unlocking mechanism to eliminate the problems existing in the conventional device. Without changing the lightweight, miniaturized and slimmed structure of the electronic device, the electronic device locking/unlocking mechanism can solve the above problem existing in the conventional device that it is hard to open the cover or display screen of the electronic device and a user often needs to try several times before he/she can successfully open the cover or display screen. By means of the electronic device locking/unlocking mechanism, when opening the cover or display screen, the pressure exerted onto the user's hand is decreased and the operation hand feeling of the user is enhanced.